Inside The Celtics

President Joe Biden Strangely Questions Who Celtics Are During White House Appearance

Matt Levine

Junfu Han-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Boston Celtics celebrated their 2024 NBA title win at the White House on Wednesday, ahead of their matchup with the Washington Wizards tonight. It was the first time that the iconic franchise appeared at the White House since 2008.

During the celebration with President Joe Biden, the President seemed to question which team was standing behind him. It may have been part of a joke from Biden but still was a little strange in the moment.

Biden grinned while saying it so it's unclear if it was a joke or not.

"2024 NBA champions, the Balls— you're Celtics, right?"

Biden also added more in his speech but it was cut off by the social media post from RNC Research. The President even revealed that he has a unique connection to the team due to his code name from Secret Service.

“All of you may not know this, but my Secret Service name is Celtic. For real, because I’m Irish,” Biden said. “Everybody behind me is Irish in their heart. I feel a special pride in this trophy for this old Irish Celtic. To all you Celtics: congratulations.”

“You all know what the great Red Auerbach said,” Biden continued. Auerbach coached Boston to nine championships before transitioning to a front office role with the organization. In that capacity, he oversaw seven more title-winning teams. “He said the Celtics aren’t just a basketball team, they’re a way of life. They’re a way of life. Passion, loyalty, first-team [mentality], full of heart, guts, and faith. We see from you, the ownership group, the executives, the coaches, essentially coach Joe [Mazzulla]."

Biden looked like he had fun with the Celtics and Boston seemed to enjoy being at the White House. It was a culmination of their NBA title and was well-earned.

Boston dominated the NBA last year, holding the best record in the league entering the postseason. The team then went on to go 16-3 through the playoffs, showing one of the better runs to a championship in recent memory.

The Celtics have started the new season with a record of 12-3 and have looked like the best team in the NBA once again. Boston is the clear favorites to win the title once again and they very well could be back at the White House yet again next year.

More Celtics: Joe Biden Reveals Special Connection to Celtics During White House Celebration

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Matt Levine
MATT LEVINE

Matt earned a Master of Science degree in Sport Management from Louisiana State University in 2021. He was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, covering all Southern California sports in his career.

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